The Girls of Summer: The addictive and thought-provoking book club debut

by Katie Bishop

‘Dark, timely and thought-provoking’ THE SUN

‘Set to be a big summer hit’ THE INDEPENDENT
‘A gripping read that is visceral and raw. Buy it’ GLAMOUR
The last time Rachel saw the girls, they were teenagers island-hopping in Greece: making friends, finding love. One golden summer.
Now in her thirties, she’s never been able to forget the man she fell in love with back then. Even though he is almost twenty years older than her. Even though she hasn’t seen him since and she’s now married to someone else.
And when she crosses paths with one of the girls, she’s confronted with a truth that’s much darker than she ever realized.
What really happened to them all that summer?
What if everything she remembers is a lie?
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For fans of GIRL A, MY DARK VANESSA and LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE, The Girls of Summer is a bold compulsive exploration of sex, power and consent, and what happens when we revisit the past with rose-tinted glasses.

'Reminiscent of HBO's hit The White Lotus... The obvious read-alike is My Dark Vanessa' BOOKLIST

'Packs an incredible punch' THE TIMES

'Beautifully written, transportive, and thought-provoking' LUCY CLARKE, author of THE CASTAWAYS

'A mesmerising, unsettling and gripping debut' CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD, author of RUN TIME

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Readers are talking about THE GIRLS OF SUMMER:

* 'A superb debut that will linger with you for a long time after you have finished it. A powerful and resonating read.' * * * * *

* 'Beautifully written with a tense, emotive plot' * * * * *

* 'An excellent debut. Raw, real, and gut-wrenchingly familiar' * * * * *

* 'Wow wow wow! It's one of those stories that stays with you' * * * * *
* 'The writing is buttery smooth and brilliant' * * * * *
* 'I couldn't put this book down, it should be added to everyone's reading list' * * * * *
* 'Shocking, familiar, emotional, and raw. Just phenomenal' * * * * *

• ISBN10: 152919296X
• ISBN13: 9781529192964
• Publish Date: 25 May 2023
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
• Imprint: Transworld Digital
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

You know how first loves go. They hit you hard and fast. Sometimes you move on; sometimes, you don't. The latter is true for Rachel. She's loved Alistar for going on fifteen years now. Even marrying somebody else didn't help her get over that love.

The more Rachel delves into the love of her past, the more she realizes that things are not as idyllic as she once thought. Was this whirlwind affair really her own choice? And if so, how have so many others followed her same steps?

My Review:

Ooph. The Girls of Summer hits hard. Rachel's story often feels too real, which some readers will likely adore – while others will feel repelled. So keep that in mind before picking up The Girls of Summer.

The author (Katie Bishop) described The Girls of Summer as exploring the "gray area of consent." If that was her goal – she nailed it. Make of that what you will, but this book will certainly make you stop and think - for better or worse.
The Girls of Summer is a memorable, if slightly dark read. I think knowing that this could (and has) happen in real life made it darker for me. As such, I'm not sure that this book is suited for all readers.

Highlights:
Coming of Age
Thriller

Trigger Warnings:
Age Gap
#MeToo elements

Thanks to StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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[chymerra]

Rachel has always remembered her first love, Alistair. Having met him on a Greek island while on a summer holiday with her best friend, he took over her world. So much so that she decided to stay in Greece with him, working at a local bar and living with many other girls. But things aren’t what they seem on that island, and Rachel returns to England to pick up the pieces of her life. Fifteen years later, she is married and has returned to that Greek island with her husband to relive her past. But as Rachel reconnects with her former housemates and Alistair, she starts remembering things she suppressed. She also slowly realizes that her time in Greece wasn’t as carefree as she tells people. Can Rachel shake off her past? Will she do the right thing when asked? Or will she continue defending the man who consumed her during that Greek summer?

I was drawn to the cover when I got invited to review The Girls of Summer. The white-bleached building with a view of the ocean was stunning. Then I read the blurb and knew I needed to read this book. I had followed the #MeToo movement with interest and also kinship. Because I, too, experienced sexual harassment at a job and, when reported, was told to keep my mouth shut (FYI: I told that HR person to shove it where the sun didn’t shine and immediately quit. My mother didn’t raise someone who dealt with that crap.) I figured that this book would be something like that. What I read, instead, was something that made me angry for those girls and what was done to them.

The Girls of Summer is a medium to fast-paced book. The pacing of the book suited the storyline. There was some lag towards the end of the book. I didn’t mind it because it was the end of the book.

The Girls of Summer takes place on an unnamed island in Greece during the “Then” part of the book. The “Now” part of the book takes place in London. Both places (Greece and London) have been my personal places to visit bucket list. I have wanted to visit since forever.

The main storyline of The Girls of Summer is split into two parts, “Now” and “Then,” and both parts follow Rachel. The “Now” parts of the book follow Rachel and the downward spiral in her life. The “Then” parts of the book follow Rachel and what happened in Greece. Both parts of the book were well-written and could keep my attention. I will admit that I wasn’t initially a fan of the split storyline. But as I read the book and got to know the characters, it worked, and I liked it.

Rachel wasn’t the book’s most likable or reliable narrator. She was mean to her husband. Who leads their husband on when he wants to have a baby and thinks it’s a fertility issue (fun fact, it wasn’t)? And as soon as she got Alistair’s number, she was back in bed with him. Her husband didn’t deserve that. And when she got together with Helena, Priya, and Agnes to discuss what happened fifteen years ago? She was a colossal jerk. I have never wanted to smack an adult more than I wanted to hit Rachel in the “Now” section. Rachel, in the “Then” section, I liked her better. She was naive and thought the best of everyone. Rachel was also head over heels in love with Alistair (gag) and would do anything for him.

I wasn’t sure if I should count Alistair as a main character. But, seeing how his actions and lies influenced the Rachel of the future, I decided to include him. I hated him. He knew what was happening in Harry’s house. He helped procure the girls for him. He disgusted me, and I was stunned when he and Rachel hooked back up. I will say that he got what he deserved at the end of the book.

The secondary characters and storylines add extra depth to the main characters and storylines.

The drama angle of the book was well written. The author wrote it so well and kept it classy. It never descended into catfights. Instead, the author wrapped it in Rachel’s angst and let it fly.

The mystery angle of the book consumed me. While I knew what would happen (I guessed reasonably early in the book), it still surprised me. I was also kept on pins and needles, wondering when Rachel would get her head out of her butt and remember that things weren’t perfect in Greece.

The end of The Girls of Summer seemed rushed. The author was able to wrap everything up in a way that satisfied me as a reader. I still wasn’t a fan of Rachel, but I liked seeing where she was after the dust settled.

I recommend The Girls of Summer to anyone over 21. There is language, sexual situations, and violence. Also, see my trigger warnings list.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Katie Bishop for allowing me to read and review The Girls of Summer. All opinions expressed in this review are mine.